Poverty

The global challenge forgovernments, industry,scientists, and civil society

Poverty

“Poverty is deprivation of basic capabilities, rather than merely low income, which can be reflected in premature mortality, significant undernourishment (especially of children), persistent morbidity, widespread illiteracy, and other failures.”

Amartya Sen

The US, Japan, and other high-income countries, with 15% of the world’s population, consumed half of the world’s commercial energ y in 1997 (World Bank estimate).

Consumption disparity

Sustainable development• North–South divide

– The North focuses on income and local environment ;the South considers social, cultural, and political dimensions while defining sustainability

“It took Britain half the resources of the planet to achieve this prosperity. How many planets will a country like India require!”

Mahatma Gandhi

Environmental

degradation

Economic growth

Resource degradation and depletion

Poverty

Poverty, environment, and sustainable development

Poor are vulnerable toenvironmental disaster

• Climate change

– differential impacts

• Water stress and scarcity

• Natural disasters

– lack of technological capacity and disaster mitigation infrastructure

Poverty and lessons from the Gujarat earthquake• Effective regulation and local

knowledge on building safety

• Weak institutional structure for disaster management

• Poverty and paucity of equipment

• Resources for rehabilitation

Tackling poverty: stakeholders all

• Government“This national agenda is a sincere and solemn covenant aimed at changing the content and culture of governance of this great nation, freeing it of the triple curses of hunger, fear, and corruption, and transforming it into a new India that is prosperous, strong . . .”

NDA manifesto

Tackling poverty: stakeholders all• Industry

– untapped market opportunity and social responsibility

• Scientists

– challenges of development and relevance of scientific research to societal needs

• NGOs

– raison d’etre

Role of the international community

• Enhance knowledge and capital flows• Facilitate solutions: models of success stories• Mitigate global environmental stress• Pro-poor globalization

“The great question before us is not whether globalization will proceed, but how. And what is our responsibility in the developed world to try and shape this process so that it lifts people in all nations.”

Bill Clinton

Role of national governments

• Adequate social security systems

• Environmental resource management

• Participative governance at all levels

Role of industry

• Promote responsible resource

management

• Develop market for services

• Develop income-enhancing inputs

for the poor

Role of scientists

“Of the many forces that will shape human history in the new millennium, science and technology will perhaps be the most potent.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• Promote goal-oriented people-friendly technology development

– Environmental solutions and land

productivity

• Accountability systems

Role of civil society

• Informal education

• Dissemination of technological

solutions

• Capacity building

• Responsible proactive role for the

media

TERI’s interventions

• Environment-friendly energy solutions• Biotechnological solutions• Climate change• New initiatives

– evaluate new and sustainable technologies for eliminating rural poverty

– evaluate policy framework to promote these technologies

– implement model projects at the grassroots level

India: some priorities

• People-oriented poverty eradication schemes

• People-friendly micro-finance institutions

• 73rd and 74th Constitutional (Amendment) Acts

• Chapter on environment and sustainable development in the annual Economic Survey

• Proactive role in climate change negotiations